For years, trailers have been employed to carry loads either too large, too heavy or otherwise not appropriate to carry within a single vehicle. These prior art trailers comprise a flat bed or walled body to which is fixed one or more wheeled axles. A tongue or other structure is fixed to the bed or body as an interface to allow the trailer to couple to a towing vehicle.
Conventional trailers are desirably configured for use. However, it is common to stow or store a trailer when not in use, rather than to leave it attached to the towing vehicle. Unfortunately, conventional trailers tend to be bulky and heavy, taking up room however they are stored.
One solution to the above-noted problem has been provided by a flatbed trailer that folds in half along a line extending from side to side and stands vertically on a set of dedicated wheels attached to a metal frame. The wheels and frame hold the trailer in a vertical orientation and allow the trailer to be rolled to its storage place. Unfortunately, this arrangement suffers several disadvantages. First, the dedicated wheels and frame remain on the trailer even when it is in use, somewhat impeding access to the flatbed. Second, apart from folding in the middle and at the tongue, the trailer does not otherwise readily disassemble. Therefore, the trailer is still large and somewhat unwieldy. Third, the trailer has a high center of gravity and thus tend to be unstable when it is placed in its vertical, storing position. This limits its portability and demands extra care on the part of the person moving the trailer- Finally, once the trailer is placed horizontal and unfolded for operation, the trailer has no structure for retaining it in the unfolded position. Thus, although gravity acts to keep the trailer unfolded, shaking while the trailer is in motion may cause the bed to temporarily fold slightly.
An ATV is a small vehicle designed primarily for off-road use by a single person. ATVs are provided with either three or four large, balloon-like tires designed to traverse soft surfaces and a small engine similar to those found on motorcycles. They are particularly popular with hunters, ranchers, farmers, naturalists and others who, for either work or pleasure, want to go where other vehicles are ill-suited to take them. ATVs are generally provided with a trailer hitch in the form of a horizontal member having a bore therein protruding from the backside of the ATV. A trailer to couple to this hitch must have a pair of parallel horizontal members with aligned bores therein and a gap between the members into which the piece of metal on the ATV is inserted. A single metal pin is inserted through the bores in all three of the members locking them together in a somewhat flexible manner, allowing the ATV and the trailer to rotate with respect to each other about the pin to a limited extent.
The non-folding trailer described above has been made smaller to fit on the back of an ATV. However, one may not always wish to have the trailer attached to the ATV. So often trailers are only needed one way on a round trip. For instance, a hunter may set out with only a gun and some ammunition (not requiring a trailer) and return with a slain deer (requiring a trailer). A rancher may set out with a trailer-load of fence--building supplies and return empty-handed. Thus, it would be highly advantageous to provide a trailer that is collapsible to the extent that it can be carried along on the ATV itself and deployable to be attached to the ATV as any normal trailer. Preferably, the trailer should be collapsible into a single unit, rather than as a collection of parts, making it even more portable. The prior art has failed to produce such a trailer.